New Delhi: In the opening episode of Getting Drunk with Madira Vogue Season 3, hosted by Priyanka Arora, food entrepreneur Sanket Shrikanth, founder of Scandalous Foods, offered a sharp and insightful take on India’s startup ecosystem, hospitality industry, changing consumer behaviour and the future of Indian dessert brands.
Shrikanth, whose company has raised over half a million dollars, explained how Scandalous Foods was created not to become another traditional mithai outlet, but to solve a larger operational gap in the restaurant industry. According to him, India did not need more sweet shops; restaurants needed a dependable mithai operating partner.
The startup focuses on creating single-serve Indian sweets with extended shelf life, making milk-based mithai easier for restaurants, cafés and hospitality businesses to store, serve and scale.
The conversation soon shifted from desserts to the realities of entrepreneurship in India. Speaking candidly about startup culture, Shrikanth criticized the growing glamorization of fundraising and valuations. He remarked that while fundraising receives public attention, building a sustainable business requires relentless effort throughout the year.
“Fundraising is a means to an end, not the end,” he said, adding that many young founders today begin ventures chasing visibility and investor validation instead of solving genuine consumer problems.
One of the most engaging segments of the podcast focused on India’s nightlife and hospitality industry. As cocktail bars continue opening and shutting rapidly across major cities, Shrikanth explained why many premium hospitality concepts struggle despite impressive interiors and social media visibility.
“Indians talk about newness, but consume familiarity,” he observed.
According to him, consumers often experiment visually online but return to familiar flavours and comfort-driven choices when ordering food and drinks. He noted that classic cocktails and recognizable dishes continue to dominate customer preferences, while many bars spend excessively on becoming “Instagrammable” instead of understanding long-term customer psychology.
He further argued that several hospitality businesses mistake virality for loyalty, resulting in concepts that attract attention briefly but fail to build repeat customers.
The discussion also explored how Gen Z is reshaping drinking culture in India. Shrikanth suggested that younger consumers approach nightlife differently from millennials, who often associated bars with conversations, social bonding and experiences.
“People are going out for Instagram, not for conversations anymore,” he remarked.
He added that wellness trends, digital identity and social media performance increasingly influence how younger audiences consume alcohol and engage with nightlife spaces.
Beyond conversations around alcohol and hospitality, Getting Drunk with Madira Vogue continues to position itself as a platform examining entrepreneurship, lifestyle shifts and modern consumer culture in India.
Founded by Priyanka Arora, Madira Vogue is a digital lifestyle and culture platform focusing on hospitality, food, luxury, nightlife and evolving business trends through podcasts, interviews and industry conversations.
